Winemaker's Notes:

The 2002 Flying Fish Merlot has concentrated mocha, vanilla and blueberry aromas along with a very deep purple hue, a hint of oak and a lingering finish." For the inaugural vintage of Flying Fish Merlot, small parcels of fruit were selected from several vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley. By blending fruit from different vineyards, the winemaking team at Big Fluke created a well-balanced, fruit expressive wine, with a nuance of oak that demonstrates the outstanding quality of Merlot available from the Columbia Valley. Each vineyard in the final blend contributes important aspects to the finished wine.

My Notes:

About Flying Fish:

Flying Fish Merlot is crafted with a desired style in mind. For the inaugural vintage small parcels of fruit were selected from several vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley. By blending fruit from different vineyards, the winemaking team at Big Fluke created a well-balanced, fruit expressive wine, with a nuance of oak that demonstrates the outstanding quality of Merlot available from the Columbia Valley. Each vineyard in the final blend contributes important aspects to the finished wine.

The image on the front of the bottle is a replication of Northwest artist, Blaine Billman's painting. The team at Big Fluke loved the image the first time they saw it and felt it was perfect for this wine for two reasons. First, it is a very good representation of traditional Northwest art tying back the wine to its Washington heritage. And second, it is a Sockeye Salmon. These salmon migrate up the Columbia River to spawn, traveling past several of the vineyards used to create Flying Fish. The name Flying Fish was chosen based on the graphics Blaine has so elegantly created.